Railway brake



Jan. 3, 1933. w. A.: NEWMAN RAILWAY BRAKE Filed April 22. 1931 265 21 #12 maflzfljfewmaw E 25 j M f Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED sTLA i WILLIAM A.i NEWMAN," ormonrnnnneunnno; CANADA,.-ASSIGNOR;T0 UNIVERSAL DRAFT GEAR 'AT'IACHMENT'COMPANY, or CHICAGO,-.ILLI1\TOIS,-A.CORPORATION?OI ILLINOIS .Applicationvfiled Apri1 22,.193l. Serial. No. 531,896.

.fThis invention relates to brakes for railway cars and more'particularly to the drop stafi type of brake.

-One of the objects of the inventionis the provision of new and improved vmeans for holding a telescopic or drop brake stafiin elevated position. V

Another object of the invention is theprovision of a new and improvedbrake staff holding device with novel meansfor disconnecting .theholding means from the stafl when it is desired to lower the same. A further object ofthe inventionis th provision 10f new and improved brake staff holdingdevice" that is locatedin an accessible position for manipulation by. the operator.

Another object of theinvention is theiprovision of a new and improved drop brake mechanism that is inexpensive tomanufacture, easily assembled, eificientin operation, conveniently located, andthat is notlikely to become broken or get. out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear fromthelfollowing description taken in 'connectionzwith the accompanying drawing;inwhich Fig. l'is a vertical section of a portion of an endof a car, showing the invention in position thereon; I

Fig. 2 is a section on line'22 ofFig'. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a .portiontof the device, showing the brake stafi in elevated or operative position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 3, but at right angles thereto;

drum"17,--and an upper section or'brake stafi 18-" on the: upper 'end ofwhichf is secured the brake wheel 14. The brakestafl 18 is slidable? through the'winding member ld forraisingand lowering the brake wheel-114' as'will presently appear. 1 H j The windingmember 16 is reduced at its lower 'endand is journa'led inithe brake mast 'step'1'9 which in turnis-secure'd'to the end sill ll as is usual in such constructions. The "brake mast step 19' may" be of any well known construction, and "since thedetailsbf the same constitute no m" of the c-present invention-it is not thought necessary" to furtherillustrate' or fdescribe'the :same'. fIt is provided at itsupper end with; the outward: ly extending flange or rbra'cket" 21 within which the upper end of :the winding 'memher '16} rotates.

YT- he jbrake staff 18 isangularin crosssection for' engaginga corresponding angular-bpenin'g in .the. winding member; 16 for rotating the same when the 'brake wheeliis rotated fori applyingthebrakes. Su'itable mechanism :is providedt'or holding the brakes applied "when the brake wheel 14: is

rotated; As 'show'n, this comprises 'a'ratchet 'wheel22 having-the: ratchet. teeth 23 on 'its under sidewhich are adapted to be "engaged by a-pa'wl' 24. 'Apivoted weight member 25 isso mounted that whenit' is turned w one position'it will engage "thetail 2610f the pawl'24 forholding the inner. endof the pawl against the te'eth 23'and whentturned tothe other position it "will hold .the pawl out. of engagement "with. said teeth. This structureis well knownin'the' art and need not be further" described.

Suitable 'means are provided for i holding the brake staff .18 in elevated position. This means. is so constructed that'when the staff is elevated above the'same it'will b'efmoved by' gravity' into the path of the'staif'for engaging the lower end thereoffo r holding the. same in its operative position.

"Itkis common practice in what is known asthe drop staff type of'brake'. to provi'de means at the loweriend of the winding memberi for holding the "staff: in elevated position.

But this arrangement is objectionable because of the inconvenience in releasing the latch or holding mechanism when it is desired to lower the brake staff. It has also been proposed to provide the upper portion of the winding member with a latch or holding means for maintaining the, staflin elevated position, but such means is provided with but a single handle for releasing the same, and such an arrangement is objectionable because the latching means, being mounted on the winding member, will at times be rotated to a position that will be inconvenient if not inaccessible to the oper-' lustrate one embodiment of the invention the bail or holdingelement or member 27 is in the formof the letter U, having outwardly extending trunnions 28 and 29 on its upper end. These trunnions are journaled in theupper end 31 of the winding member 16. 1 1 The upper end 3101? the winding member is distorted laterally as at 32 to form a recess 33 for receiving the holding element 27 when the same is moved to inoperative'p osition. Handle members 34 and 35 are provided for operating the holding element 27 These handle members may be secured in any suitable manner to the holding element. As shown, theyvare cast integral with the trunnions 28 and 29 and are so constructed that their center of gravity will be at one side of theplane ,of the bail or holdingelement 27. .By means of this arrangement the weight. of the holding element and that of the handles .34 and 35 will be such as to cause the'holding element to move by gravity into the path of the brake stall 18 when the sameis elevated above said element. The

lower end of the brake staff may be and pref-.

erably'is provided with arecess 36 which in the form shown is concavefor engaging the horizontal portion 37 of the holding element 27.

Suitable means are provided for permitare also provided for holding the bail 27 in its assembled position. In the form of construction shown, the upper end of the winding member is provided with lugs or projections 39 extending outwardly therefrom.

A cap 41 having an annular recess 40 in its innerwall for receiving the lugs 39 is provided for preventing removal of the bail. This cap is provided .with longitudinally extending slots 42 on its inner surface through which the lugs 39 are inserted for securing the cap in position.

- In assemblying the parts, the holding element 27 is inserted through the slot 38 in the upper end of the winding member, after which the cap is applied by causing the lugs 39 to engage the slots 42 and then rotating the cap, after it is lowered in position, to cause the lugs to engage beneaththe shoulders formed by the recess 40 for preventing the removal of the cap. The cap 41 has an angularopening through its top wall for receiving the stafi which, when the parts are assembled, will prevent the rotation of the cap relative to the winding member 16. This capfextendsthrough an opening 43 in the flange or bracket 21 and may be said to form the upper journal for the brake mast.

. Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and it is desired tooperatet-he brake, the brake staff 18 is elevated above the horizontal portion 37 of the holding. member. 27 whereupon the latter will fall by gravity into the path of the brake stafl'f. The brake staff is now, lowered to cause the holding elementto engage in the recess 36. This recess will prevent the accidental disengagement of the holding member from the brake stafi. I i

; Whenit is desired to lower the staff, one of the handlemembers34, 35 is moved in a direction to cause the holding member to enter the recess 33. v The horizontal portion 37 of the holding member is curved on its upper surface for engaging the concave re- :cess 36,'whereby, when the handle member 34 0135 is moved outwardly, it will cause the horizontal member 37 tovrideout of the recess 36 for releasing the. brake staff. The staff may then be lowered with the wheel 14 occupying afposition within the recess 13 of the floor 12.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railway brake operating mechanism, a brake mast comprisinga lower section, an upper sectionrotatable with said lower section and slidably mounted therein, a holding member normally positioned by gravity in thepath of movement of said upper member, and means at opposite sides of said staff for moving said member out or the path, ofmovement of said upper section.

2. In; a brake operating. mechanism, a windingmember, a vertically movable brake staff for operating said member, a gravity opfor holding said winding member in brake applying position, a vertically movable brake staff for rotating said member, said staff being movable vertically and having a concave recess on its lower end, a U-shaped hold-' ing member journale'd in the upper portion of said winding member and movable by gravity to a position beneath said recess and in the path of said staff when the latter is elevated above said holding means for limiting the downward movement of said stafl'; I

4. In a device of the class described, a sleeve member having a winding drum on its lower end, a brake shaft step for supporting said sleeve member, a brake stafi' telescopically mounted in said sleevemember, a U-shaped holding member journaled in the upper portion of said sleeve member, and a weighted handle element for normally holding said holding member in the path of said staff.

5. In a brake operating mechanism, a brake shaft step, a sleeve member journaled in said step, a vertically movable brake stafi' for operating said sleeve, a U-shaped holding member journaled in said sleeve for holding said stall in elevated position, and weighted handle members connected to said holding member and adapted to normally hold said last-named member by gravity in the path of said stafi.

6. In a brake operating mechanism, a winding member, a brake staff for rotating said member, a U-shaped holding member journaled in said winding member, a handle member secured to said holding member for moving the same to inoperative position, said handle member being so mounted thatits weight will tend to maintain said holding I member in the path of said staff.

7. In a brake winding mechanism, 7 a winding member, a brake staff vertically slidable in said member, said stafi' having a re cess in its lower end, a U-shaped holding member journaled in said winding member, said winding member having a recess in one side thereof, a handle attached to each end of said holding member for moving the same out of the path of said staif into said recess, the center of gravity of said handle member being outwardly of the plane of said holding member whereby when said staff is elevated above said holding member the latter will move by gravity beneath said staff for engaging said first-named recess when said staff is lowered.

8. In a brake operating mechanism, a" brake shaft comprising an upper secti'onand a lower section, the upperv section being slidable within the lower, a gravlty operated" latch member cooperating with said upper section for holding the'same in elevated position, and means at opposite sides of said lower section for operating said latch mem- 1 ber.

9. In a brake operating mechanism, a brake mast comprising a sleeve member having vertical slots in its upper end and provided with a recessin its wall spaced degrees from said slots, a U-shaped holding member having laterally extending trunnions 'for engaging in said slots, handle members carriedby said trunnions for rotating said holding member into said recess, a cap for holding said trunnions within said slots, means for preventing the removal of said cap from said sleeve member and a brake stafi Cal slidably mounted in angular openings in said.

cap and sleeve member for causing the same to rotate together when said staff is rotated.

10. A holding member for a railway drop brake mechanism comprising a U-shaped brake staff supporting element, said element terminating in oppositely directed trunnions Y and handle members carried by said trunnions, said handle members being arranged to extend in a plane at an angle to the plane of the U-shaped portion of said element;

11. In a railway brake operating mecha-' nism, a sleeve member having its lower end terminating in a winding drum and having its upper end provided with oppositely arranged slots extending longitudinally of said member and having lugs extending radially outwardly from its upper end.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

.WILLIAM A. NEWMAN. 

